Can students be taught the global inequalities of trade? Can they learn to understand how rural or urban producers often receive far less than their fair share of remuneration, simply because they live in a poor economy? We offer a workshop to train the trainers: ie to give teachers a practical programme they can implement in the classroom.   

 In early 2020, just before the full force of the pandemic swept the world, we were able to run one in-person simulation in Shymkent, Kazakhstan. The event was a teachers’ development conference where 85 English teachers had gathered to learn soft skills, including communication and negotiation.   

 CGVUK’s Natalya Hanley presented on the topic of ‘global skills’. She spoke of the importance of helping students explore global development issues. To illustrate the topic, she ran Crossroads’ fair-trade simulation. In this workshop, participants grapple with supply chain issues that perpetuate the gap between rich and poor.  In the debrief afterwards, stimulating discussion helps everyone explore alternatives and ways they may be part of the solution to unfair work and trade.  

 “All the teachers were very engaged and active,” said Natalya. “Many of them participated in the discussion, brought quite good ideas and were able to think through the topic.”  

Book a simulation  

In the UK, we run simulations on fair trade and urban poverty. We can run a workshop or simulation for your group online or in person! In the UK, we’ve welcomed groups from companies such as Unilever and Facebook, as well as university groups, church groups, primary and secondary schools and others. Email enquiries@cgvuk.org to explore OMIT ‘talk about’ what we can offer your group.